What concrete overlay means in Augusta
Overlays run from a skim of a millimetre or two up to about half an inch, and they come in microtopping, stampable and self-levelling forms. They change appearance and texture without removing the slab.
They do not add structure and they do not bridge movement. An overlay on a slab that is cracking will crack in the same place, usually within one season.
Overlays are common in Augusta because so much of the housing stock has slabs that are sound but forty years old. What decides it is whether the clay under the slab has moved, not how the surface looks.
- Thickness
- 1/4 to 3/4 inch
- Mix
- polymer-modified overlay mix
- Ready to use
- 24–72 hours
- Typical cost
- $4–$9 per square foot
- Service life
- 10–15 years
How concrete overlay is applied
The existing surface gets profiled by grinding or shot-blasting, then a bonding primer. Overlay on an unprepared or sealed surface delaminates in sheets.
Existing cracks get treated first, either routed and filled or, where they are moving, honoured as a joint in the new surface rather than covered.
Every existing control joint and expansion joint has to be carried through the overlay. An overlay poured across a joint tears along that line as the slab underneath moves.
A stampable overlay is thick enough to take a texture mat, which is how an existing plain slab becomes a stamped one without removal.
What concrete overlay costs in Augusta, GA
An overlay costs a fraction of removal and replacement, which is why it is the right answer on a structurally sound slab with a tired surface. On a slab with base failure it is money spent twice.
An overlay costs a fraction of removal and replacement, and on clay that difference is larger than usual because breaking out and rebuilding the base is the expensive half.
Where concrete overlay goes wrong in GA
The failure is always the same: an overlay used to hide a structural problem. If the slab has settled, rocks under load, or has a crack with a height difference across it, the overlay is not the fix.
An overlay on a slab that has shifted on clay tears along the same line within one wet season. The base question comes before the surface question every time.
Where we do concrete overlay
We cover Augusta, Columbia County and the South Carolina side of the CSRA, including and 34 more areas.
Questions we get asked about concrete overlay
Can I overlay a cracked driveway?
Only if the cracks are stable and get treated first. A moving crack comes straight through the overlay.
How thick is an overlay?
From a couple of millimetres for a microtopping up to about half an inch for a stampable one.
Will it last as long as new concrete?
On a sound, prepared slab with the joints carried through, an overlay lasts many years. It is still a surface, not a structure.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need. We answer the same day, and the on-site visit is free.
Get a price for your concrete overlay
Call (762) 320-6343 and we will come out, measure, and leave you a written quote. There is no charge for the visit and no obligation afterwards.